A team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has created electronically enhanced wallpaper that has the ability to activate household objects, such as heaters, table lamps and music systems.

The Living Walls Project, led by Leah Buechley at MIT's Media Lab, uses magnetic and conductive paints to create circuitry embedded in the wallpaper's designs.

Published: November 4, 2009 -- 14:58 GMT (06:58 PST)

Caption by: Carly Newman

According to a report in New Scientist, the team from MIT created the wallpaper by sandwiching steel foil between layers of paper coated with magnetic paint — acrylic paint infused with iron particles.

The team painted motifs such as flowers and vines over the magnetic base using conductive paint, which is infused with copper particles rather than iron. The designs form circuits to which sensors, lights and other components can be attached.

Published: November 4, 2009 -- 14:58 GMT (06:58 PST)

Caption by: Carly Newman

Interactive walls typically rely on expensive sensors and projectors to make the wall come alive. Buechley's wallpaper relies on cheap sensors for temperature, touch and brightness, as well as LEDs and Bluetooth connectivity, to create an interactive surface.

Published: November 4, 2009 -- 14:58 GMT (06:58 PST)

Caption by: Carly Newman

The interactive wallpaper can be programmed to monitor its environment and control other electronic devices, such as lamps and music systems. The wall can act as a control surface, which is able to 'talk' to nearby devices. Touching a flower in the wallpaper's pattern could turn on a lamp, for example.

The system of circuitry within the wallpaper runs at 20 volts, pulling around 2.5 amps when it is fully loaded with appliances. Buechley, speaking to the New Scientist, said that the circuitry is perfectly safe. "You can go up and touch the wall and not even feel a tingle," she said.

Published: November 4, 2009 -- 14:58 GMT (06:58 PST)

Caption by: Carly Newman

Buechley has also demonstrated the technique using a design on an ordinary sketchpad, shown here. The 'Computational Sketch' also relies on conductive paint, magnetic paint and magnets to activate the electronics. The interactivity is demonstrated in a YouTube video of the sketchpad.

As yet, MIT has not made public any plans to test or make the wallpaper available.